In a June 2009 email, President Obama’s point person on health care promised the pharmaceutical industry it would be protected against efforts to allow cheap drugs to be re-imported from Canada, because drug lobbyists had been “constructive” in their secret negotiations with White House officials.

The email is just one of thousands that House Republicans mined through as part of a more than a year-long investigation into Obama’s closed-door deal making with PhRMA, the drug industry lobbying group.

Though it was previously known that Obama had cut a deal with drug companies, a memo released today by the House Energy and Commerce Committee provides more specific details than have been previously reported.

The disclosures provide further evidence that once in office, Obama tossed aside his promises to be transparent and stand up to special interest groups.

Nancy DeParle, then director of the White House Office of Health Reform, wrote the following email to PhRMA’s chief lobbyist on June 3, 2009: “Yes – I pushed this to everyone (Messina, Rahm) is in Egypt with POTUS but Phil Schrillo, Dana Singlser and I made decision, based on how constructive you guys have been, to oppose importation on this bill.”

That September, top PhRMA lobbyist Bryant Hall reported to his coworkers in an email that he “had a good call w Messina,” and wrote: “Confidential: WH is working on some very explicit language on importation to kill it in health care reform. This has to stay quiet.”

Rewind to 2009. The fight over ObamaCare is raging, and a few news outlets report that something looks ethically rotten in the White House. An outside group funded by industry is paying the former firm of senior presidential adviser David Axelrod to run ads in favor of the bill. That firm, AKPD Message and Media, still owes Mr. Axelrod money and employs his son.

The story quickly died, but emails recently released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee ought to resurrect it. The emails suggest the White House was intimately involved both in creating this lobby and hiring Mr. Axelrod's firm—which is as big an ethical no-no as it gets.

Messrs. Axelrod and Messina are now in Chicago running Mr. Obama's campaign. Mr. Axelrod, the White House and a partner for AKPD didn't respond to requests for comment on their role in HEN, the tapping of Mr. Baldick, and the redolent hiring of AKPD. Until the White House explains all this, voters can fairly conclude that the President's political team took their Chicago brand of ethics into the White House.

Reader Comments (6)

Wow. I did NOT see this story. The MSM must have made a huge stink about it when it surfaced [snark]. Of course we all knew back in 2009/2010 that the administration was literally meeting behind closed doors to plan their corporate giveaway.

Yep. We knew it. But it still pisses me off. I'm also still pissed about Medicare part d NOT being able to negotiate with pharma companies over drug prices. And that happened back in 2003.

WTF is that about. Medicare reimburses doctors about 20% of what private insurance pays but on drugs they pay exactly the price that the pharma companies ask. David Walker has called it the single most irresponsible bill in his lifetime. I've seen reports that we could save $4 billion per month by negotiating. The VA gets to negotiate drug prices, but not Medicare.

Billy Tauzin pulled that one off, and a bought congress went along for the fiscal suicide.

A law school classmate of mine worked for PhRMA and Billy Tauzin for years (she is now at Bayer). She was in charge of killing state bills that attempted to reduce pill prices. She is a 3rd generation lobbyist and her Dad, a Republican, was Tip O'Neill's best friend--truly a cottage industry.

What's important to note is that PhRMA is Exhibit A on how the system works. Former crooked congressman (Tauzin) takes a highly-paid position leading a lobbying firm and uses connections to kill bills. Simple.

What's important to note is that PhRMA is Exhibit A on how the system works. Former crooked congressman (Tauzin) takes a highly-paid position leading a lobbying firm and uses connections to kill bills. Simple.